A Family Again
by tribute324
Summary: Sally gets a suprise when Percy shows up fresh from the Giant War and his time in Tartarus. Forcuses on Paul and him really realizing how much his step-son has gone through. Just a one-shot for now, but if I get enough reviews I might do a second chapter! Please R&R! Rated T for nighmare


**Hey guys, so this idea just came into my head, and I had to write it down. I know it will probably stink, but if you could give me some feedback on how to make it better that would be awesome!**

**So basically, Percy has just come home after the Giant war and his time in Tartarus. He has a nightmare and Paul truly sees how much Percy has had to deal with.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy constructive criticism welcome! **

Sally was sitting on the couch watching the news with Paul one night. She was once again thinking of her son, Percy. It had been almost a year since he had disappeared. She spent every minute of every day worrying about him, wondering if she would ever see him again. She was used to him not coming home, because sometimes he would have to rush to camp after an attack. But when Chiron had IMed her, telling her, her son was missing, she had been so scared.

All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. It was far too late for anyone to be coming for a social visit, but she went to open it anyway. When she opened the door, she was reduced to tears. Standing there, battered, bruised, and barley conscious was her son, her little boy. She cried out and threw her arms around him, but retreated when she heard him moan out of pain.

Paul came running, having heard Sally cry and stopped dead in his tracks. There was Percy, looking as if he had been to hell and back. Sally ushered him through the door.

"Percy, where have you been for the past year?" she asked worriedly.

"Hera kidnapped me and whipped my memory, everything except my name, and the fact that I was a demigod." Percy replied weakly. He left out the part about Annabeth that was a whole different conversation.

"Then, my friends came to rescue me, and I became the subject of another stupid prophecy." He said the last part so bitterly; Paul had to ask what made him so angry.

"What was the prophecy?" Paul asked his step-son.

"_Seven Half-Bloods shall answer the call_

_To storm or fire the world must fall_

_An oath to keep with a final breath_

_And foes bear arms to the doors of death." _Percy recited.

Paul and Sally both paled. That sounded horrifying.

"Well, Annabeth had to go on a little mini-quest while we were in Rome." Percy continued. "She battled Aracne, all by herself, with a broken ankle, and won. She sent her through this pit in the cave that lead straight to Tartarus. W-While we were there, she fell, there was webbing caught around her ankle, and I caught her. But, but I couldn't pull us both us, and we went over the edge. I caught on to this ledge, but there was no way for the crew to get to us. We looked at each other, reached an agreement, a-and, I l-let go." Percy was shaking by the time he finished his speech. Paul could only sit there in shock. His step-son, no _son _had truly gone to hell and back, and survived. Anyone else would have been a mess, but he had stayed strong.

"Percy, oh my gods, oh my gods," Sally was sobbing, and gathered her son into her arms. Only then did Paul notice that Percy had tears streaming down his face. Percy finally broke. He sobbed into his mother's shoulder, letting her hold him for the first time in a long time. Paul went to sit by Sally, and rubbed Percy's back in soothing circles.

"Every monster ever created came after us. Annabeth's ankle was reinjured by the fall. She couldn't run, so I ended up having to carry her most of the way. At one point I was knocked out, and when I woke up she was gone. It took me hours, and I just managed to get to her before she was killed by an entire pack of Hydra's." Percy said shakily through his tears.

Paul for the first time realized what Percy had gone through. He had lead an army to war, witnessed so much death and destruction, and lost some close friends. Then, just when he thought he could rest, he had his identity ripped from him, and he was forced one again to battle for his own life and others, against forces no man should ever have taken on. His son had been forced to lead army's and fight in wars all before he was eighteen. Not to mention all the monsters that were constantly attacking him just in everyday life.

Percy was still sobbing into his mother, and it broke Paul's heart. He had been forced to be so strong, and he finally broke. Paul couldn't imagine the horrors his son had witnessed.

"N-N-Nico almost died during the battle at the doors." Percy cried, "Frank, he jumped in front of him, because Nico had his back turned. It was too late for the blade to stop. He was dead before he even hit the ground. J-Jason was trying to fight Gaea all on his own, trying to defend us while we fought off more monsters than I had ever seen before. H-he was killed as well." Percy cried more, remembering his fallen friends.

Paul was crying himself. Percy had lost so much, so much more than any person should. The cries quieted, and Sally and Paul realized Percy had finally passed out. Paul figured Percy hadn't slept more than a few hours the entire time he was in Tartarus, and he had probably been running non-stop since.

Sally quietly picked Percy up, scared at how light he was, and carried him to his room. She laid him in bed and tucked him in, and sat on the edge stroking the hair away from Percy's forehead.

"Why him? He's just a little boy, he's only 17. Nobody should have to go through what he has, especially someone so young. Why him?" She looked at Paul with pleading eyes, filled with tears and despair.

"I don't know why it happened Sally, but he's safe now, and we can help him heal from this. He needs us now more than ever." He sat down and put his arms around his wife, trying to help calm her.

"I know, and there's nothing more we can do tonight, we might as well head to bed." And with that, the two headed to their room.

At some point during the night, Paul and Sally were woken by screaming coming from down the hall. The jumped from the bed, and nearly sprinted down the hall to Percy's room. Sally flung open the door, and saw Percy, covered in a cold sweat, thrashing in his bed, tangled in the sheets, screaming and crying at something they couldn't see.

"No, Please, Stop! Please no!" He screamed. Sally and Paul ran in and tried to wake the poor boy. It took a while, but at last Percy's eyes shot open, and the two parents had to move quickly because Percy had grabbed his sword, and had it in full sword form faster than what should have been possible.

"Percy, Percy, it's okay, your safe, nothing's going to hurt you," Sally said softly, approaching her son slowly. Percy's eyes darted around the room for a second, before his breathing began to calm, and he capped his sword, turning it back into a regular, black, ball point pen.

Percy still had tears running down his face.

"They had Annabeth, they wouldn't stop, she was dying, I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything to stop it, they just kept attacking, until they finally killed her." Percy said quietly. He was shaking from head to toe, and white as the sheets.

"It's okay honey, Annabeth is fine, it's over, it was just a dream." Sally said, wrapping her son in her arms. Percy hissed in pain, and Sally immediately released him.

"Percy, show me where your hurt." Sally said in a calm but stern voice.

Percy reluctantly removed his shirt, and Paul wanted to throw up. He was covered in bruised as scratches. He had a long scar running from his right shoulder to his ribcage, just missing his heart. Paul could see what was hurting him. There was a large gash on his side that was still oozing blood. Sally gasped, but kept a cool head.

"Paul, could you please run and get me the special first aid kit in the bedroom?" She asked. He knew what she was talking about. They kept two first aid kits, one normal one, and one that had demigod supplies like ambrosia and nectar.

He ran back into the bedroom, and Sally set to work. She bandaged the wound, after cleaning it with some nectar, which caused Percy to hiss in pain. She then gave him a small square of ambrosia and helped him lay back down.

"Try to go back to sleep honey, it will be morning soon. Everything's okay now." She placed a kiss on his forehead, and followed Paul out of the room.

"What are we going to do?" She pleaded with him.

"We take it one day at a time." He responded, "We will help him in every way we can, and, in time, things will heal, and things will get better."

She reached up and placed a small kiss on his lips. "Thank you," she said, "I know this can't be easy for you."

"A little bit to take in, but it works." Paul laughed, as they headed back to bed. Things would get better again, he was sure of it.

**Well there you go, really don't know why I wrote this, I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. I hope you enjoyed it. Please Review and give me some constructive criticism on how to improve my writing! It's the only way I'll improve.**

**Thanks!**

**-Tribute324**


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